Welcome to
Yogendra Ashram
“Bhakti” is the path of love and devotion.
We are an affiliated of the
Bhakti Yoga School
Yogendra Ashram is a school created and founded by Shyam Vallabhi Devi Dasi (Samantha Carla Miller) in 2013 who is currently its director. This beautiful oasis is located in Colombia in the mountains west of Cali, 15 minutes from the urban area.
Shyam is an international teacher, yoga and Ayurveda therapist, she organizes international teacher trainings in Colombia, Peru and India.
Yogendra Ashram is a space focused on spiritual development, where contact with nature and silence allows you to connect to the purpose of life through activities that promote this well-being.
What is Bhakti Yoga School?
Bhakti Yoga School (formerly “The Inbound School of Yoga”) is run by Chaitanya Nitai Das, a yogi, Vedic astrologer and student of Vedic culture. Chaitanya has been a pioneer of the Eco Truly Ashram in Lima, Peru and director of the Yoga Inbound studio in Miami and Cusco.During his 22 years of experience on the path of yoga, he has lived in ashrams and assisted spiritual teachers who have given him the vision to develop a branch of Yoga Inbound to help and serve humanity.
Our yoga school was born from the desire to help, inspire and educate those who feel called to this incredible and happy career of being a yoga teacher. Our school is available to those who want to elevate their practice and cultivate the skills and qualities that a true yoga instructor must have in order to help others in a professional manner.
History
The Bhakti Yoga school (Before Inbound School of Yoga) was inspired by Yoga Inbound, a school that was founded by and Gurudeva Atulananda Maharaj in India, as an offshoot of the Asana Yoga mission of Vrnda. In 2000, Chaitanya began studying Ashtanga Yoga in Miami Beach with Reed Taylor – her friend and first Ashtanga Yoga teacher.
In 2004 Reed’s studio became Chaitanya’s and became Yoga Inbound Miami. After teaching a couple of years in Miami, Chaitanya moved to Cusco.
Since 2004, Chaitanya, with friends and teachers, has directed more than 70 Yoga teacher training courses and certified more than 1,0000 yoga students from different parts of the world.
Our intention
This body is an energetic vibration of our consciousness and serves as an instrument by which we can awaken to true identity using the incredible gift of free will. This body is considered a divine gift with which we have the opportunity to become enlightened and awaken our inner divinity, our true self, and serve the whole.
With this gift we can cooperate with the universal plan and make our life, as well as that of others, more beautiful and fulfilling. That is why we do not reject our own body, but honor it as a temple where the soul and the super soul reside.
Our philosophy
We, as souls, have free will and can choose to remain aware of our eternal connection with the Supreme and thus participate in this work of love, or forget that we are souls and create a life of drama based on a false identification with matter (the Body). The world is subjective. By acting independently of Absolute Harmony, we become conditioned by time, space and the laws of karma.
Our beliefs
Beauty
When we see others we honor and recognize an inherent divine beauty and goodness in them. Even if we don't see that goodness, we see the potential for that goodness. The Vedas speak of this age as the age of Kali Yuga: the cloudy age where virtues are set aside for material gain and self-gratification.
This is why many may experience the world as horrible. But even living in this age, one can raise their consciousness and with a higher consciousness one is no longer affected in the same way by the effects of this age. If you decide to close your heart and mind to the beauty of life you will lead to suffering. Many people are suffering and you can bring a little light to the hearts of others and share your love with them.
Compassion
Buddha said that we all suffer. Suffering arises from separation and lack of understanding of our true nature. Our teachers say that when we are not aligned with the natural order of things, we create pain and struggle. Actually, pain is a sign that we are moving against the natural order.
Instead of fighting with the pain or considering it negative, we should try to align ourselves with the whole. The more we align them with ourselves, the more freedom we will experience. True compassion is helping others realize their true nature and the divine gift that we all possess.
Empowerment
It is easy to criticize others, but having the ability to inspire them is a great virtue. In Rajanic philosophy it is said that we are, in essence, a manifestation of the supreme divine consciousness. Divine consciousness is one of sat(eternity), cit(awareness), and ananda(bliss).
Inherent in this also are love (prema) and peace (shanti). As humans we possess these same qualities. If we see these qualities in each person, we automatically feel good and honor to be in his presence. If people feel this emanating from us, they will naturally raise their consciousness.
Our vision
However, in an unenlightened state, we see it as imperfect in certain ways. We can even come to consider it negative because of its temporary and illusory nature. Despite this, the wise and enlightened beings have indicated to us that beyond this material manifestation there is a higher order and that everything is working in harmony with the universal plan.
In our Yoga practice, we seek to open up and align ourselves with the natural and divine order, understanding and trusting that there is a greater force that is directing everything in an incredible, harmonious and perfect way.
